|
Identity Theft Prevention Tactics You Can Use Today |
By:
Jay Anderson |
|
|
Identity Theft Prevention Tactics You Can Use Today
Jay Anderson
With more than 10 million Americans becoming the victim of identity theft, it is time that we begin to take identity theft prevention more seriously. It is much easier to take measures to prevent the crime in the first place then it is to clean up the mess these thieves leave behind.
One of the reasons to be concerned is because if you become a victim, you should plan to spend at least $500 or more to get the problem straightened out. And this does not include the countless hours of personal time you will spend on the phone, sending letters and faxes to skeptical creditors to explain that it was not you who charged several thousand dollars on an account that appears to belong to you, complete with a significant amount of your personal information.
Everyone has heard that one of the best ways to not become a victim is to shred all mail that comes into your home. This is a great first step. Make sure that you use a shredder that cross-cuts the paper, since this will completely alleviate the ability to put the document back together. One often overlooked item to shred is magazines. Many magazines have preprinted order forms inside that have your name and account number on them, so tear off the address label and the order form before you throw them out.
The government has become aware of the prevalence and severity of this crime and has implemented some legislation aimed at identity theft prevention. The first thing is allowing you to get a free credit report once a year from each of the credit bureaus so that you can see activity on your account and identify activity that should not be there.
The credit bureaus have also given you two ways for you to protect your identity. First you can send them an "OPT-OUT" which means that you no longer want any financial institutions to just mail you out offers if you have not requested them. This helps because there will be fewer offers in your mail box for thieves to steal, and less junk mail for you to shred.
The credit reporting agencies now will permit you to put a credit freeze on your account with them. The benefit of this is that nobody can run a credit report on you unless they have your express permission to do so. Obtaining that permission is designed to be a somewhat complex and cumbersome process. This will deter most identity thieves since there are so many other targets out there who are much easier victims.
If you still feel vulnerable, you might consider buying identity theft protection. Two popular ways are either hiring a company that monitors you credit report and notifies you of any changes or there are companies available that will help you prevent it to begin with. Either type of company can be found online and charge a monthly fee for the service.
With reports of this crime continuing to increase every year, you really need to think about what you are doing for yourself in terms of identity theft prevention. The simple safeguards that you can put in place today can save you hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours of your personal time if you become a victim.
For more insights and additional information about http://www.idtheftprotectiontips.com/ Identity Theft Prevention as well as getting free copies of your credit reports from the credit bureaus, please visit our web site at http://www.idtheftprotectiontips.com
|
|
Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article65336.html |
|
|
|
|
|
